An example of a good alternative to MBA (that is cheaper, and that doesn't require GMAT):
MASTER OF QUANTITATIVE ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
Jointly organized by the Ecole Polytechnique
and the HEC with the sponsorship of INSEFI
A. THE MASTER PROGRAM:
Starting in the academic year 2006/2007 the Ecole
Polytechnique (
http://www.polytechnique.edu/ ) and the HEC
(
http://www.hec.fr/hec/eng/ ) are offering a Master Program
in Quantitative Economics and Finance open to graduates in
Economics and related fields (3 year Bachelor Degree or
equivalent). The first year is jointly operated by and
based in two of the elite academic institutions in France.
This curriculum corresponds to the first-year ("M1") of 4
Master programs in the fields of economics and/or finance
at the Ecole Polytechnique and the HEC. It provides the
fundamental courses to the students who want to benefit
from these Master programs and do not have the required
background. All courses are taught in English. A solid
level in mathematics is a prerequisite.
This Master program is linked to the following research
institutions: the Department of Applied Mathematics and the
Department of Economics at the Ecole Polytechnique and the
Department of Economics and Finance at the HEC.
B. CORE AREAS AND OBJECTIVES:
The main focus of the program will be on building
quantitative skills in Economics and Finance.
B.1. The first year
In the first term of the first year students will be
required to complete a set of general core courses.
In addition to completing further compulsory courses,
students will then choose to follow either the Economics or
the Finance track in the second term.
B.2. The second year
Subject to validation of the first year, in the second year
students will enroll in one of the following programs depending
on their chosen track during the first year:
In Economics and Finance
- Master "Analyse et Politique Economiques"
http://www.master-ape.ens.fr/indexeng.php
(starting 2007/2008, all courses in this master will be in
English)
- Master "Economie du Developpement Durable, de
l'Environnement et de l'Energie"
http://www.inapg.fr/spip/article.php3?id_article=338
In Mathematical Finance and Applied Mathematics
- Master "Probabilites et Applications, Parcours
Probabilites et Finance"
http://www.masterfinance.proba.jussieu.fr/
- Master "Mathematiques de la Modelisation, Parcours,
Optimisation, Jeux et Modelisation Economique"
http://www.ann.jussieu.fr/OJME/lmd_uk.php3
B.3. PhD Programs
After the second year, subject to meeting corresponding
requirements, students may progress to the PhD program,
enrolling either at the Ecole Polytechnique
(
http://www.ecoledoctorale.polytechnique.fr/ ), or at HEC
(
http://www.hec.fr/hec/fr/doctorat/ ).
C. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
All entrants must have at least (or will complete by
September 2006) a Bachelor Degree (or equivalent) from an
institution of good standing. Furthermore they must have a
good knowledge of spoken and written English for non-
native speakers or those that did not complete their degree
at an English speaking institution this must be evidenced
by appropriate documentation (TOEFL, Cambridge Test, etc.).
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
The deadline for applications is 30/06/2006. A decision on
applications submitted before 31/05/2006 will be made by
15/06/2006, while those received between 01/06/2006 and
30/06/2006 will be decided upon by 31/07/2006.
An application form can be completed online at:
http://de.polytechnique.fr/candidatures ... anguage=EN
To apply for this program please connect to this website
and follow the instructions, in particular specify the
field "Quantitative Economics and Finance".
FEES AND FINANCIAL AID:
Tuitions fees for both years are 11,000 Euros. There are
several fellowships available that are granted on
competitive academic criteria and cover the fees. For
further information contact:
CONTACT: MAILTO:asters@polytechnique.fr
or
Email: MAILTO:doctorat@hec.fr
Some on-campus accommodations are available at a discount
rate. Reservations must be made through:
CONTACT: Ahn-Dao Charles
Email: MAILTO:anh-dao.charles@polytechnique.fr
For more information on the campuses, please visit:
http://www.polytechnique.edu/
and
http://www.hec.fr/hec/eng/
For other information related to the Master, please
contact:
CONTACT: Jerome Pouyet
Email: MAILTO:jerome.pouyet@polytechnique.edu